Open top paint pans for use with paint rollers have challenged professional painters and laymen alike for many years. The basic problem has been that the paint roller slips and slides on the bottom of the paint pan when the roller should be rolling to properly load the roller with paint. In addition, some portions of the roller are loaded with greater quantities of paint than other portions, causing uneven application on the wall. Manufacturers have tried to address this issue by placing bumps, ridges or nipples on the bottom of the paint pan. While these efforts alleviate the problem to some extent, they do not provide a complete solution.